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After much research and many hours of debate, I am proud to present the best dunks in the history of men’s division 1 college basketball. All factors were taken into account to make the list: the situation, power, distance, hang time, type of dunk, presence of defender, and athleticism. There is no denying that this list is the true list of the most memorable and best dunks in college basketball to date.
10. UNC vs Duke 1995: The Jerry Stackhouse “Donkey Kong” Dunk
These rivals clash twice a year, producing some of the greatest finishes in college basketball. This 1995 thriller was nothing less, when the two teams battled through two overtimes. In what Rasheed Wallace deemed “the Donkey Kong Dunk”, UNC’s Jerry Stackhouse powers over 14 feet of Duke post player, while fouled twice, and still manages the reverse slam. Just listen to the excitement in Dickie V’s voice. Note he nearly jumped from the opposite block.
9. Louisville vs. Florida St. 1989: Everick Sullivan’s “Masterpiece”
Sullivan was most noted in this game for hitting a 3 in overtime at the buzzer to give Louisville the win. However, this dunk has been largely forgotten throughout the years. Sullivan manages to take off from the block, spin in midair, and complete a 180 slam while being fouled. The athleticism required to pull off this move is simply unbelievable.
8. Georgia Tech vs. NC State 2007: Isma’il Muhammad Climbs NC State
When Muhammad cleared Engin Atsur in midair during this game, one could only think about the Vince Carter dunk during the Sydney Olympics. It’s rare to see a player completely clear the defender (Deron Washington did in a lay up over Greg Paulus), but Isma’il is the only one I can remember in this decade to actually dunk it.
7. Cincinnati 1999 – The Melvin Levett “Superman” Put-Back
What’s better than jumping over a defender? How about jumping over your own player. Melvin Levette did just this in the 1999 NCAA tourney as he managed to clear his own player while rising 3 ft above the rim for a put-back dunk. Truly, this is one of the greatest put-backs in NCAA basketball history.
6. UNLV vs. Pacific – The Jarvis Basnight Hurdle
Just as good as Isma’il’s dunk, but nearly 20 years earlier and during the NCAA tournament. This dunk seems to last for ever as Jarvis launches himself within 2 feet of the freethrow line, cocks the ball back, and tomahawks it over the Pacific defender . . . while cleanly clearing him.
5. UCLA – The Baron Davis Behind the Back Fake and Dunk
Sometimes the dunk isn’t what makes the play. In this case, Baron Davis proves to us why the moments preceding the dunk are sometimes what makes the play beautiful. Just like the Jordan fake out of two defenders before dunking over Ewing, this is special simply because of the move. Just watch as Davis snaps the defender’s ankles.
4. NC State vs. Houston 1983 – The Larenzo Charles Dunk
Admittedly, this dunk is hideous. There is no flare to it, no hanging on the rim, but lots . . . and lots of celebration. If I were to make a list of the best dunks in college basketball, I would be a moron to leave this dunk out. Why? Because by dunking Derreck Whittenburg’s desperation shot, the “Cardiac Kids” won themselves a national championship. Maybe that’s why he strayed from the windmill or reverse dunk.
3. Kentucky vs. Mississippi State – Minnifield Goes Airborne
This dunk is often overlooked and many people have never seen it. However, the hang time and body control displayed by Dirk Minnifield during this dunk are unlike anything I have ever seen. After he launches from outside the lane, his knees and feet are level with the defender’s eyes. His vertical must be off the charts, because although science says no man can hang in the air for more than 1 second, I swear I think he defied the laws of gravity.
2. Pittsburgh vs. Providence 1988 – “The Night the House Came Down”
Ferocious beauty. Those are the only words I can think of to describe this dunk. Pittsburgh’s Jerome Lane places himself into the college history books with this dunk. He jumps from outside the block, posterizes a defender, and manages to shatter the backboard. Nothing else can really be said about this dunk, it’s simply that amazing.
1. UNC vs. Maryland 1984 – Air Jordan is Born
With only 10 seconds to go in the game, UNC’s Michael Jordan gave us a glimpse of things to come in the NBA. His hang time, the distance, and the “rock the baby” while the legs were splitting all make this dunk the best in college history. If you can deny its beauty, then you obviously are not a college basketball fan.
Did I leave any out? Let the debate begin.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Pretty solid list. I would have had Jerome Lane’s dunk over Jordan’s, though.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Too bad Dirk didn’t dunk when he had a chance to against the Cards in the NCAA’s!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
That Minnifield dunk was sick as HELL. Never seen a 6′3” player get up like that . . . seemed like he never came down.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:21 pm
NC State in the list??????? You HAVE to be kidding me.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Come on. Vince Carter was easily the best dunker in the entire history of college basketball. Show some respect!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Didn’t Tyler Hansbrough dunk over a 7′7” giant earlier this season? Pretty sure that belongs on here, for certain!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
No white guys in the entire list! hahahahhahahaha!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Yeah, the State dunk was pretty lame. Nice season they had there with Sidney Lowe (we thank you here at ASU).
May 21st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Nice to see Air Jordan at #1. I would have expected nothing else.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
[...] Original post here [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:03 am
I cannot believe they forgot the incredible Grant Hill slamdunk when he soared into the stratosphere to jam the lob from Bobby Hurley in the 1991 Final Four game against UNLV.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:15 am
What about Vince Carter’s dunk over Tim Duncan
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:29 am
Baron Davis also made this crazy dunk on the Washington Huskies - the dunk itself is better than that one up there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdvEMNCQGlk
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:33 am
[...] The “Donkey Kong”, the “Masterpiece”, the “Superman”,the “Night the house came down” and more. Just frikkin nasty slams.http://www.ath1337.net/the-10-best-dunks-in-the-history-of-college-basketball/” rel=”dc:… [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 am
It’s spelt Sydney not Sidney
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:08 am
Great List. I would have put that Derrick Minnifield’s dunk at least number 2. Also another that I would have thrown in Vince Carter’s in bound lob dunk against Wake in the ACC tourney. Besides those great list.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
[...] May 22, 2008, 12:41 pm Filed under: Uncategorized It’s pretty obvious that some of these guys never took physics. Otherwise, they’d know that they shouldn’t be able to jump so [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:10 am
abob — the Grant Hill dunk was vs. Kansas. Duke beat UNLV in the semifinals that year. And yeah, I was expecting to see that on the list as well.
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:11 am
Talk about some classic Dunks! Thanks for taking the time to put that together. I really enjoyed it.
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:49 am
Another one that sticks out in my memory was little Rennie Clemmons dunking over Shaq.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:07 am
Umm… Its ‘Cardiac Pack’
And Thomas @ ASU: Herb is missed, but get prepared for a couple seasons of 2nd or 3rd finishes in PAC 10, several 2nd place finishes in conference tourney, and 1st or 2nd round losses in NCAA.
It only hurts when football falls apart and you look ahead and know whats coming.
Oh, and during Sweet 16 weekend when your team ain’t playing.
Again.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:11 am
Okay Ive watched the Minnifield dunk like 100 times now and everytime it looks like hes gonna come down when he makes contact, but then he just goes higher. Simply amazing.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:29 am
Danny Green also jumped over Greg Paulus, but unlike Deron Washington, Green dunked it.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:29 am
This would be my #1:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Iiq3LQBRl1g
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 am
yeah, here it is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=TeYLov5fLXA
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 am
You’re kidding. You left out Chris Porter 1998 Auburn. Better than all but one or 2 of these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNqY5fPgkls
The dude had no discipline and ended up in jail, but man could he play.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Haha, Sak, the shattering the backboard vs. UNC is a great dunk, and it was greatly considered . . . but honestly it takes nothing more than putting all your weight on the rim. That’s why “Big Jelly” of FSU/W. Kentucky, “Big Country”, and Shaq were all able to do it . . . and from the video, the same thing happened. Just a lot of weight on the rim, that’s why it’s a technical foul. Jerome was different because it was the sheer force of the slam. Plus . . . I am a recent grad of UNC (wow the working world is so much different), so there was admittedly a little bias against that video, but overall it was in the honorable mention.
The other big problem people had was not having Hansbrough’s dunk over Kenny George in the UNC vs. UNCA game this year. I was at the game . . . (I have worked with the Athletic Department for four years) . . . however, I am superstitious in putting up a dunk by a player that hasn’t finished his career. Yes the Dean Dome rocked after the dunk, but I have heard it much, much louder (i.e. the Marvin put back in 05, or the Henderson foul in 07). Tyler’s not done yet . . . I figured that much out when I was pouting in the bleeders in the Alamo Dome back in April (there wasn’t much more to think about during that game other than next year).
Also, I told myself no more than 2 UNC dunks on this list. Jordan is a given with the Mona Lisa. The next had to be the Donkey Kong dunk over any dunk by Vince Carter. If Vincanity had a bigger dunk in a bigger game, please enlighten me. Plus I like Serge’s fist pump celebration after the dunk. Just mute it to forget Dickie V. Please also note I gave NC State their props.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
The Porter slam was alright, but there just wasn’t much flare. No reverse, it wasn’t over anybody . . . it was just there, nothing really special other than the fact that it was to the side.
I saw a dunk nearly like it this year vs. Iona (the same game Tyler dunked on Kenny George). http://youtube.com/watch?v=PL4qDcL4tmE
Put backs are special dunks, but to be the best of all times, you have to bring the thunder . . . and do it over someone else.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
wow, its good that so many calculations were taken lol
Jen,
http://www.cashpotatos.com/
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 am
The Best Dunks in College Basketball History…
[...]The "Donkey Kong", the "Masterpiece", the "Superman",the "Night the house came down" and more. Just frikkin nasty slams.[...]…
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
I’ve always liked James Worthy’s dunk over Sleepy Floyd in the 1982 NCAA championship game. After going through the net, the ball bounced off Floyd’s head…twice.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 am
Grant Hill ally-oop in the championship vs. Kansas was pretty nasty - video sucks but the replay is ok. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvPYgFggXCk&feature=related
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
[...] Embedded Video [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
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May 22nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
NO HAKIM WARRICK ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?!?
Any of his teabag dunks were better than Muhammed’s dunk over a 5 foot nothin’ white boy.
Watch his dunk against Texas small forward and center, Buckman, in the 2003 Tournament.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I seem to recall a Vince Carter dunk where he was driving baseline and dunked it supermanlike with his head on the other side of the basket.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
[...] Best College Basketball Dunks of all time (ath1337) [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
McNasty, that Vince dunk was during high school. Unbelievable, I know.
Hakim Warrick, sick, but he never hurdled anyone.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
9. Louisville vs. Florida St. 1989: Everick Sullivan’s “Masterpiece”
If you watch this closely, you’ll see this actually wasn’t a dunk. The defender blocks the ball and it bounces off of the backboard and into the hoop as Sullivan grabs the rim.
3. Kentucky vs. Mississippi State – Minnifield Goes Airborne
If you watch this one closely, Minnifield gets up so high because the defender pushes him as he’s on his way up like a catapult.
I would take Sullivan out of the top 10 because it wasn’t a dunk but Minnifield may need more points because he went over the top of a big guy.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:52 pm
David Thompson must have had one of the top college dunks. I don’t remember an exact one but take a look at this block shot on Bill Walton! http://youtube.com/watch?v=whIPLxAXGc4
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I like this list ALOT. i couldn’t agree more with the Jordan dunk being #1 too. There are 2 dunks I wouldve liked to seen here too though - 1998 Antwan Jamison (UNV vs Duke at Duke) - ‘THE DUNK’ and 2008 Danny Green over Greg Paulus (UNC vs Duke) - talk about someone getting jumped OVER (not to mention it being the same guy who was cleared by Deron Washington - as you stated here)
*EDITORS NOTE*
Thanks for the compliment. However, like I said earlier, being an alum of UNC I did not want to show any bias towards any other great plays in history. Plus I refused to put up any current players (The green tea dunk and the Psycho T. Over the Giant Dunk) until they write their own names in the history books.
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
here’s to good ole TAR HEEL LOVE! wanna do a little correction of my previous post - THE DUNK was featured already - #10 on your list. the nasty 1998 yammage Jamison poured over DOOK was sick too, and in my opinion belongs on any list like this, but isn’t referred to as ‘THE DUNK’ as I stated before.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
How about one of the smallest dunkers of all time…http://youtube.com/watch?v=NONCH16CMdI
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
The amazing thing about Jarvis Basnight’s dunk was that during that era you just didn’t see that type of stuff in college. Probably one of the most amazing athletes to ever play at UNLV, but tore his knee up and was never the same. Went from being one of the first guys projected in the draft to being drafted in a lower round and never playing. Too bad, but I’ll never ever forget watching this dunk live….amazing!
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:59 am
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May 24th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
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May 25th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
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May 26th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
i dont understand your criteria. BD’s behind the back move to the dunk is one of the coolest plays in college basketball but the dunk was just average. you also completely whiffed on baron davis’ dunk over some washington player given that its 5x more impressive than half this list. the lorenzo charles tip in is again a great play but the dunk by no means extraordinary, which means it too belongs on another list. one of the earlier responses was on the right track when they point out you have no vince carter on here, at all. that really doesnt make any sense at all considering his top 10 rivals your top 10 of all time.
Just because its an “all time” list doesnt mean you are required to pick older dunks just because they have high historical significance.
BTW- you tube alfred aboya dunking over joakim noah. that happened this decade and is just as nice as muhammeds from georgia tech
May 27th, 2008 at 3:02 am
[...] un gran articulo en este blog en ingles y no resistí la tentacion de reproducirlo en [...]
May 27th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Gotta have Clyde Drexler jumping over Andre Turner.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article The 10 Best Dunks in the History of College Basketball, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
June 1st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I read similar article also named The 10 Best Dunks in the History of College Basketball, and it was completely different. Personally, I agree with you more, because this article makes a little bit more sense for me
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Hakim Warrick, flat footed from the block over Torin Francis. Are you serious?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VKTfEE4bfvQ
June 4th, 2008 at 4:06 am
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